Friday, March 10, 2017

Project Bike: Dad's XT500 - New forks and wheels

I took a trip to Zdeno Cycle last weekend to find some key parts for the bike build. I've always wanted to go with a front end with inverted suspension. I scored a good deal on this fork set off a 1992 GSXR 750 for $200. They need some fork seals and I'm going to have to modify the steering stem to mate up with the XT steer tube. I'll have to design a new top triple clamp plate to include provisions for mounting a set of ProTaper motocross bars.
Since the bike is going to be a street tracker, I had to go with 19" wheels front and rear. I've always liked the look of these 7 spoke mag wheels off Yamaha XS/SR models. They are both front wheels so I'm going to have to design up some hub adapters to mount the needed rotors and drive sprocket.